Kamala Harris criticises Donald Trump over attorney general pick

In a bold move, Kamala Harris – the first Indian-American to be elected to the US Senate has criticised President-elect Donald Trump for picking up Senator Jeff Sessions for the post of Attorney General.

Kamala Harris said in a statement, "In viewing the role of the US Attorney General through this lens, I have deep concerns about Senator Sessions' nomination. Particularly, I am concerned with his support for policies that would undermine core Department of Justice functions and his views that are incompatible with constitutional guarantees."

The 51-year-old Democratic party leader – Kamala Harris who created history by becoming the first person of the Indian origin to be elected US senator, added, "Like all presidential nominees, Senator Sessions deserves a fair and thorough hearing by the Senate, and I look forward to actively engaging in that process."

In another statement, she said, "I know from my own career in law enforcement, civil rights, and the six years I have spent as California's Attorney General how important this role is for our society. The Attorney General is the people's lawyer, a public servant who is sworn to uphold the promise of equal protection under the law and to ensure the fair administration of justice for all."

Kamala Harris’s victory is the result of the major test of California’s “top-two” primary system. In an experiment in democracy that California voters approved in 2010 in order to reduce the highly partisan influence of the Democratic and Republican parties and give others like independents and moderates more say in the political process.

Harris has agendas that include issues like criminal justice, immigration reform, creating good-paying jobs, enacting family leave and equal pay policies, college affordability and universal pre-kindergarten for children and tackling climate change.

The two-term California Attorney General will be sworn in as US Senator on January 3, 2017.

Deepti Kaul has over a decade’s experience in journalism. She has worked with media giants like Hindustan Times, NDTV, India Today, IndiaTV and as a freelancer. She loves to write on Indians abroad, fashion, lifestyle,food, travel, showbiz, education, parenting while meeting people and experiencing different cultures.